Apparatus for printing addresses on newspapers



2 Sheets-Sheet l.

G. K. MARSHALL. NEWSPAPER SUPERSGRIBEB.

No. 25,974. "Patented Nov. 1, 1859.

(dz-57765563; %CZIC% 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. K. MARSHALL. NEWSPAPER SUPBRSGRIBBR.

No. 25,974. Patented Nov."1, 1859.

UNrr sr O. K. MARSHALL, OF VIGKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING ADDRESSES ON NEWSPAPERS, 8w.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 25,974, dated November 1, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, C. K. MARSHALL, of Vicksburg, in the county of \Varren and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Superscribing Newspapers, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, in which Figure 1, is aplan or top view of my newspaper superscribing apparatus. Fig. 2, is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3, is a side view; Fig. a, an end view, and Figs. 5 and 6 are modifications of the superscribing chain.

Similar letters of reference in each of the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

The nature of my invention consists, first, in the employment of a chain of plates or solid links having the name and address of different newspaper, magazine or periodical subscribers, or the name and address for letters, placed upon or cut into the face of its links, and arranged to wind in scrolls onto one pulley'from another, and the combination of the same with an inking device and stamp or other similar contrivances which will cause the respective links of the chain as they come into play to produce a clear impression upon the wrapper of the papers or upon the articles being superscribed or direct-ed, substantially as hereinafter described; second, in the employment of an inclined feeding hopper having openings in its bottom and furnished with a spring stop, in combination with a series of revolving arms that pass up through said openings in the hopper and feed down papers, in bulk, to the lower edge of the hopper; third, in combination with what is embraced in the second feature, a raking device which draws down the papers, thus fed in bulk, separately, and carries them at intervals to a proper position for receiving an impression from the respective links of the subscribing chain, substantially as hereinafter described; fourth, in the combination with the superscribing chain, of a belt, which is arranged to wind similarly, on two pulleys, to the superscribing chain, having the post-offices of the different States marked upon it, and the. combination of the same with an endless belt having the several States of the combination of the same with a mail assorting box, the said parts being so arranged and combined that the name of a certain State can be made to appear in view, then a certain post-office, and all the papers of subscribers belonging to one post-ollice will be superscribed, and then said post office will pass from view, and simultaneous therewith the papers belonging to the same will be discharged from the assorting box, when another post office will come to View, the papers belonging to it be superscribed and assorted as just described, and so on until all the post offices in the State have appeared in view and the names of subscribers belonging thereto shall have been printed, when said State can be caused to pass from view and another made to come in sight, and also one of the post offices of the same, and so on until the whole list of subscribers belonging to the different post-offices of the several States shall have been superscribed and assorted.

To enable others skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, represents the frame of the machine. This frame is to be of a form and style to accommodate the working mechanism.

B, is a superscribing chain formed of flat narrow plates or links which are jointed loosely to one another so as to be readily separated by an appropriate instrument in order to remove a link and again form a connection, or open the chain and introduce a new link. This chain is to be of a length suflicient to embrace the whole list of subscribers to a newspaper and each link is to have the name and address of a subscriber set on or cut into its upper surface, as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The chain is, preferably, to be arranged in the center of the top of the frame, and its ends carried over long pulleys C, C, one of which should be, near each of its ends, of hexagonal form circumferentially, and furnished with sprocket teeth at each end so as to feed forward the chain with certainty; said teeth being placed apart just the same length as the width of the links and passing up through the spaces existing between the links.- The ends of the chains attach to spool or barrel pulleys C C permanently so as to wind from C onto C in scroll manner, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The pulleys C C are prevented from turning automatically in a manner to allow the chain to slack by means of a taut elastic crossed belt, or other means, such as chain and sprocket wheels or eccentrically set connecting rods, as illustrated at C, said belt also serving to gear the two pulleys together and give reverse motions to the same and by its elasticity and consequent friction transmit the motion from pulley C to G On the shaft of the sprocket or actuating pulley C, of the chain, is provided a ratchet wheel 0, which is controlled against backward movement by a hook shaped pawl d, said pawl with the ratchet acting to impart motion to the sprocket wheel and thereby move forward the chain a distance of one link at certain intervals.

I will now leave this portion of the machine until it becomes necessary to take it up again in order to show how it works in combination with the other features of the invention, and will now describe the inking and stamping devices.

Above the superscribing chain is placed a cap e, which stands slightly above the surface of the chain, and serves to keep its links after being inked from being dirtied. In this cap, an opening f, just as large as one of the links of the chain is formed, as shown so as to successively expose the respective links of the chain and allow the same to superscribe the news-papers. Directly above this opening j", a spring stamp D, or other device which will produce a pressure sufficient to cause the links to give their impression to the wrapper of the newspapers, is arranged so as to move perpendicularly up and down. In rear of the opening 7", on the frame A, and over the chain an inclined hopper E, is constructed, as shown. This hopper serves to contain the papers which are to be superscribed. And in rear of this hopper and directly over the chain an inking hopper F, and a suitable inking device G, G, 1s arranged so as to supply ink to the links of the chain. The stamp is connected loosely to a fixed standard 9, of the frame A, and may be just the same width and length as the chain links; it being arranged to play up and down in a tubular bracket 9 of said standard against a spiral spring g said spring serving to return it to its place after it has been depressed. The inking roller is attached to the main driving shaft H, by means of brackets and revolves with said shaft and also on its own axis. As the roller revolves with the shaft it comes in contact with another roller G, under the inking hopper and becomes inked and as it continues its revolution, it passes over the surface of the links of the chain and inks the same successively, they being left uncovered at this point by the capping plate. As various characters of inking devices are now commonly used, I do not confine myself to any one. The lever D, which operates the stamp is hung on the top of the standard 9'. This lever is actuated by means of a cam J, on the main shaft, said cam coming into action while the inking roller is being inked, and depressing the front end of the lever with great power and thereby causing that link of the chain which is under the stamp and has a" newspaper resting upon it, to superscribe the newspaper. As various modes of producing pressure upon the stamp and of causing the chain to superscribe the paper, may be devised I do not confine myself to any particular mode, re-

serving to myself the right to effect the same by gradual movement or by a sudden percussion of the stamp, paper and superscribing chain.

The newspaper hopper E, is provided with two oblong slots h, h, in its bottom. It is also provided with a spring stop h for regulating the discharge of the newspapers or preventing any more than one being fed to the superscribing chain at the same time. Underneath the top of the frame and in line with the center of the bottom of the hopper a shaft K, is arranged transversely. On this shaft, at points directly under the oblong slots in the hopper, curved spring arms y, 7', are attached. These arms are long enough to extend up through the slots and take hold upon a number of newspapers and feed them down to the front or lower edge of the hopper. It will be observed that each pair of these arms come into operation successively and when one has done its work, it passes down through the slots in the hopper and does not interfere with the feeding down of another bulk of papers by a succeeding pair of arms. The shaft carrying the spring arms j, j, is geared by means of pulleys Z, Z, and a band m, or by sprocket wheels and a chain, with the driving sprocket wheel shaft C of the superscribing chain.

At the lower or front edge of the hopper, a toothed raking device K, is arranged. The teeth 7c, 70, of this rake take hold of the newspapers singly and feed them over the space f, in the capping plate, to be superscribed.

The raking device K, is hinged at n, to a sliding angular jointed rod L, and receives a back and forward motion throughsaid rod and a lever M, which is actuated by means of a cam M on the main driving shaft. It will also be observed that the pawl d, which gives the forward motion to the superscribing chain and prevents back movement of the same, is jointed to the lever M, and that consequently the movement of the chain the distance of one link, the movement of the inking roller to ink said link, the movement of the raking device so as to bring the papers singly under the stamp and over a link to be superscribed, and the movement of the stamp, are effected by the one driving shaft and at such periods that the several movements will not interfere with one another.

As the discharge of the paper superscribed must be effected simultaneously with the bringing forward of another to be superscribed it is necessary to combine the discharging belt or device with the main shaft. To accomplish the discharge of the papers, I propose as one mode, but not the only one, to arrange an endless belt N, at right angles to the direction of feed. This belt is to have openings 11, a, cut in it corresponding to the size of the stamp, so that while it passes over the opening f, in the capping plate, ,it shall not interfere with the links of the chain and the address, set or cut in the same, coming in contact with the newspaper wrapper; said belt is also to have pins or projections between its openings so that it shall carry off the papers with certainty, and is to pass over two rollers O, 0 one of which 0, is to have a ratchet wheel 0, on the end of its shaft. Into said ratchet, a pawl P, takes, said pawl being attached to apivot rod P which is actuated by means of a lifter g, of the lever M, which is actuated by the cam l of the main shaft H.

In constructing a large machine I doubtless will adopt a difierent construction and disposition of the parts and therefore I do not confine myself to any particular form or arrangement of the parts for accomplishing the several operations named. Of course in all changeswhich I make the same principle of operation is to be involved.

Q, is a belt having the post-offices of the several States marked upon it. This belt is attached by its ends to two rollers It, R, so as to wind in scroll manner from the roller R, onto the roller R, while the superscribing of the papers is being performed. S, is an endless belt arranged to revolve around two pulleys T, T. This belt carries the several States of'the Union. Each of the belts Q, S, is covered by a case U, which has an opening V, just large enough to expose, the letters spelling a State or post-office, to view. On the roller R, a ratchet wheel 8, is arranged. This ratchet is held from revolving backward by a stop a, and is caused to revolve forward by a sliding pawl 41. This pawl is kept fro-m, and thrown out of contact with the teeth of the ratchet by a spring w. Its forward end is provided with a pin m, on its underside which falls by the action of a spring y, at intervals, into recesses .2, formed in the links of the superscribing chain, said recesses being formed at such points on the chains as will allow the whole number of subscribers to the paper to be superscribed before the post-office, which may be opposite the opening V, in the covering of the belt Q, passes from view. By this arrangement it may be evident that when the whole number of subscribers belonging to one post-office has been printed the pin of the pawl 12, will fall into a recess 2 of the superscribing link which is underit, and will be pulled along with the chain and caused to turn, through the ratchet s, the roller It, and consequently the belt, and thus bring another post-ofiice to view. Now in order to avoid inaccuracies by the removal of a linkwhich contains a dead subscriber I insert, when I remove the link containing the address of such a subscriber a link which contains the name of some good exchange or drop the link and unite the chain as before. .And in case it is necessary to insert an additional link I carry the recess which completes the list of a certain postoflice, a distance of one link forward. As it is desirable to assort the papers of the several post-ofiices as fast as the list of each post-oflice, is completed. I combine a receiver or assorting box W, which is situated to receive the papers from the carrier belt before described, with the pawl 41, by means of a lever 1, and rod 2, the latter passing under the hinge flap bottom 5, of the assorting box and attaching to the frame A, at 3, and the lever attaching to the rear extension of the rod 2, and of the pawl 12, as shown. By this arrangement it may be evident that when the chain draws the pawl forward, the lever 1, will be caused to pull the rod 2, backward and thereby open the flap bottom of the assorting box and thus allow the papers of a certain postoffice to discharge. is effected and a new post-office brought to view, the front end f of the pawl is lifted by an incline projection 4, of the frame A, and thus forced from contact with the superscribing chain.

The endless belt carrying the names of the States is to be operated by hand or by mechanism substantially similar to thatemployed for operating the belt carrying the post ofiices, such mechanism of course will have to be so constructed and proportioned that the State belt will not be moved until the post ofiices belonging to a certain State have been brought to view.

I propose to have a bell or any suitable alarm so combined with the post oflice belt that when the several post ofiices of a State have all appeared to view, the attention of the manager will be called to the fact so that he may turn the State belt and bring to view another State.

In printing magazines it may be found necessary to feed the papers at right angles to the direction in which the superscribing chain moves, I have therefore represented a hopper 6, similar to an ordinary card feeder for this mode of feeding. This hopper is arranged over the carrier belt which As soon as the discharge in this case is to be furnished with pins to take hold of the articles to be superscribed. When this mode of feeding is adopted, the other arrangement described for feeding papers is not placed on the machine.

As I do not claim this last mode of feeding, I do not think it objectionable to refer to it here in the manner I have, as such an allusion seems necessary in order to make more evident the utility of those parts of my invention which I presume are patentable.

After the superscribing chain and the post oifice belt have been completely unwound in one direction, they are again Wound back in an opposite direction by means of-keys applied to square ends of the res ective shafts 7 and 8 of the rollers or pu eys, ready fora new start. p

This machine is designed particularly for superscribing or directing newspapers, magazines and periodicals, but it may be found advantageous in certain instances to.

employ it for superscribing letters.

The mail assorting box may be arranged at the end of the machine and the newspapers may be passed to, or caused to fall directly into it as fast as superscribed, and thus avoid the necessity of a transversely arranged feeding belt. The bottom of the assorting box in this case will be opened by a similar contrivance tothat described, but said contrivance will have to have its location shifted so as to attach to the flap bottom. In case the papers are thus passed to the box, an apron arranged longitudinally with the movement of the chain may be employed or the stamp may be arranged to produce pressure just at the end of the frame, so that a succeeding paper will shove the preceding one into the ass'orting box.

Having thus fully described my superscribing or newspaper, magazine, periodical and letter director I will now state what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent.

I claim- 1. A chain of plates or solid links having characters of the description substantially 3. The employment of an inclinedhopper having openings in its bottom and furnished with a spring stop, in combination with the revolving bulk feeding arms, substantially as and forthe'purpose set forth.

4. 'The combination with the features embraced in the thirdclaim of the raking, single feeding, device substantially as andfor the purposes herein described.

' 5. The use of the scroll winding post oflice .indicating belt with the superscribing chain or other superscribing devices; substantially as' and for the purposeset forth.

' 6. The manner substantially as describe of effecting a combination between said belt .and chain.

7. The combination of the features embraced in the fifth claim with the mail assorting box, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The use of the State indicating belt with the post office indicating belt, and with a superscribing device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9-. The organization of an apparatus, by means substantially as described, for accomplishing, by one continuous operation, the several results herein specified.

The foregoing specification of my superscribing apparatus signed and witnessed this 11th dayv of April 1859.

G. K. MARSHALL.

Witnesses:

WM. TUSCH, R. S. SPENCER. 

